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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Communities for a Healthy Bay
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DTSTAMP:20260603T224701
CREATED:20250730T213241Z
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UID:10000181-1755252000-1755266400@www.healthybay.org
SUMMARY:Youth Kayak Tour
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a fun and educational paddle on the water! During this half-day guided tour\, youth will learn the basics of kayaking\, practice water safety\, and build confidence on the water—all while exploring the natural beauty of our local shoreline. Along the way\, we’ll spot marine wildlife\, learn about the unique ecosystems of the South Sound\, and enjoy some summertime adventure from the best seat in the house: a kayak! \nNo prior experience needed. All gear and instruction provided along with lunch and drinks. Open to youth ages 12-17. \nSpace is limited to 12 participants—register below to save your spot! \nUnfortunately our program has reached capacity. If you'd like to join the waitlist\, please let us know by emailing education@healthybay.org.
URL:https://www.healthybay.org/event/youth-kayak-tour/
LOCATION:Communities for a Healthy Bay\, 535 Dock Street\, Tacoma\, Washington\, 98402\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.healthybay.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/EJC_Kayacking.jpeg
ORGANIZER;CN="Communities for a Healthy Bay":MAILTO:chb@healthybay.org
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250820T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250820T193000
DTSTAMP:20260603T224702
CREATED:20250820T190540Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250820T190540Z
UID:10000187-1755711000-1755718200@www.healthybay.org
SUMMARY:Critical Areas Ordinance Public Hearing
DESCRIPTION:The City of Tacoma is proposing changes to the Critical Areas Ordinance that would weaken protections for wetlands\, streams\, and wildlife habitat. These rollbacks could cause long-term harm to our water\, climate resilience\, and public health. CHB is urging the Planning Commission to reject or substantially revise the proposed updates to Tacoma’s Critical Areas Ordinance. \nWHAT’S AT RISK: \n\n\nMore wetlands could be filled in: New exemptions allow developers to destroy “small” wetlands without proper review or mitigation. \n\n\nWeaker buffers: Reduced protections around streams and wildlife corridors would fragment habitats and increase pollution. \n\n\nExpanding development: Vague “public interest” exemptions and “interrupted buffer” rules make it easier to build in sensitive areas. \n\n\nNo solid science: The City hasn’t presented a clear picture of how many square feet of wetland this change could impact\, despite tools like LiDAR being available. \n\n\nAttend the Public Hearing: \n\nIn Person at Council Chambers\n1st Floor\, Tacoma Municipal Building\n747 Market Street\, Tacoma\, WA  98402\nVirtual (Zoom)\nWebinar Link: www.zoom.us/j/84416624153\nDial-in Option: Call 253-215-8782\nMeeting ID: 844 1662 4153
URL:https://www.healthybay.org/event/critical-areas-ordinance-public-hearing/
LOCATION:Tacoma Municipal Building\, 747 Market Street\, Tacoma\, WA\, United States
CATEGORIES:Environmental Policy
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250822T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250822T170000
DTSTAMP:20260603T224702
CREATED:20250820T190907Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250820T191352Z
UID:10000190-1755820800-1755882000@www.healthybay.org
SUMMARY:Critical Areas Ordinance Public Comment Due
DESCRIPTION:The City of Tacoma is proposing changes to the Critical Areas Ordinance that would weaken protections for wetlands\, streams\, and wildlife habitat. These rollbacks could cause long-term harm to our water\, climate resilience\, and public health. CHB is urging the Planning Commission to reject or substantially revise the proposed updates to Tacoma’s Critical Areas Ordinance. \nWHAT’S AT RISK: \n\n\nMore wetlands could be filled in: New exemptions allow developers to destroy “small” wetlands without proper review or mitigation. \n\n\nWeaker buffers: Reduced protections around streams and wildlife corridors would fragment habitats and increase pollution. \n\n\nExpanding development: Vague “public interest” exemptions and “interrupted buffer” rules make it easier to build in sensitive areas. \n\n\nNo solid science: The City hasn’t presented a clear picture of how many square feet of wetland this change could impact\, despite tools like LiDAR being available. \n\n\nSend written comments by 5pm on Friday\, August 22\, 2025. Visit our letter campaign for an easy template you can personalize today! Or you can email planning@tacoma.gov or mail to Tacoma Planning Commission\, 747 Market St.\, Room 345\, Tacoma\, WA 98402. \nWe need strong protections for wetlands and wildlife corridors—not weaker ones. Please speak up to defend Tacoma’s environment. Together\, we can stop these rollbacks.
URL:https://www.healthybay.org/event/critical-areas-ordinance-public-comment/
CATEGORIES:Environmental Policy
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250823T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250823T120000
DTSTAMP:20260603T224702
CREATED:20250730T214313Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250730T214313Z
UID:10000184-1755945000-1755950400@www.healthybay.org
SUMMARY:Tree and Water Walk
DESCRIPTION:Water is one of the key components of life. In Tacoma\, it falls from the sky\, flows in our rivers\, and calls us to the Puget Sound. Water is a key part of our ecosystems and it is crucial that it stays clean. Trees play an important role in watershed pollution mitigation and are an important part of how water moves in our urban landscape. On this walk\, we will learn from Sarah Low and Barry Goldstein about how trees are managed in a downtown landscape and their importance in reducing pollution carried by stormwater runoff. \nDress appropriately for PNW summer weather. Prepare to walk approximately 2 miles on pavement\, up and down stairs\, and on steep streets. \nAbout Your Guides:  \nSarah Low \nSarah C. Low\, Founder of Tacoma Tree Foundation\, combines a love of trees and nature with her professional background in urban and community forestry. Sarah has been studying trees since she noticed ants on a favorite flowering dogwood when she was 10. Her curiosity for trees and nature led her to pursue a career focused on urban ecosystem health and sustainability. All along the way\, Sarah found relief\, healing\, connection\, and joy outdoors. Sarah provides educational talks\, leads mindfulness walks\, and helps to connect people to nature and to each other. \nBarry Goldstein \nBorn and raised in New York City\, Barry graduated from Queens College (CUNY) with degrees in Geology and Biology\, and then received his MSc and PhD in Geology from the University of Minnesota. He worked primarily on the relationship between landscape features and climate change\, including the effects of climate on river systems. This has mostly been in regions affected by past glaciations (like Puget Sound)\, but has also included work in the American southwest as well as archaeological sites in Israel. He served on the Board\, and as Board Chair\, of the Center for Environmental Law and Policy from 2001-2008\, which uses legal means to protect in-stream flows in Washington State. Barry retired (June 2021) from the Geology Department at the University of Puget Sound\, after joining the faculty there in 1984. He currently serves on the Board at Communities for a Healthy Bay as well as their Policy and Technical Advisory Committee. \nMeeting Location: Naomi Joe Coffee\, 2101 Jefferson Ave\, Tacoma
URL:https://www.healthybay.org/event/tree-and-water-walk/
LOCATION:Naomi Joe Coffee\, 2101 Jefferson Ave\, Tacoma\, WA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.healthybay.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMG_4707.jpeg
ORGANIZER;CN="Communities for a Healthy Bay":MAILTO:chb@healthybay.org
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250827T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250827T235900
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CREATED:20250825T202737Z
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UID:10000193-1756252800-1756339140@www.healthybay.org
SUMMARY:Puget Sound Nutrient General Permit Public Comment Due
DESCRIPTION:Scientists have shown for decades that too much nitrogen pollution in Puget Sound causes algae growth that lowers oxygen in the water and harms salmon\, orcas\, and shellfish. Wastewater treatment plants are the largest human-made source of this nitrogen\, especially during the summer when oxygen is already low. \nIn 2021\, the Department of Ecology created the Puget Sound Nutrient General Permit (PSNGP) to set rules for all treatment plants discharging into the Sound. In February 2025\, the Pollution Control Hearings Board (PCHB) invalidated the PSNGP “insofar as it is mandatory” and remanded the permit back to Ecology for further action. \nNow the Department of Ecology is updating the permit again\, proposing to reissue the permit with changes to allow facilities to opt in and apply for permit coverage. This new draft of the PSNGP still allows high pollution levels and does not hold the biggest polluters accountable. Without stronger action\, weak rules could be locked in for another five years while population growth and climate change make the problem worse. \nREASONS FOR CONCERN \n\nToo much nitrogen is hurting Puget Sound.\nWastewater treatment plants release nitrogen into the water. When there’s too much\, it causes big algae blooms that suck up oxygen. Fish like salmon and orcas need that oxygen to survive.\nThe biggest polluters need the strongest rules.\nJust two treatment plants (Tacoma Central and King County South) put out more than 60% of all the nitrogen in Puget Sound. These plants should not have the same loose rules as smaller ones—they need tougher limits and faster upgrades.\nRules must be fair and consistent.\nSome cities are trying to “opt out” of the permit. If they do\, they must still follow the same rules\, monitoring\, and timelines as everyone else. Otherwise\, pollution just gets worse in certain places.\nAction levels are set too high.\nRight now\, the rules let plants pollute close to their worst levels from the past five years before taking action. That’s like waiting until the house is almost flooded before fixing a leak. We need lower\, realistic limits based on today’s data.\nGrowth and climate change will make things worse.\nMore people means more sewage. Warmer water and rising seas make oxygen problems even worse. The rules should plan ahead so nitrogen doesn’t keep going up as cities grow.\nNo backsliding allowed.\nTreatment plants shouldn’t be allowed to expand or take on more sewage unless they also cut their nitrogen at the same time. Otherwise\, water quality will keep sliding backwards.\n\nWAYS TO TAKE ACTION \nSend written comments by 11:59pm on Wednesday\, August 27\, 2025 via Ecology’s online system. \nOr you can send comments by U.S. mail (postmarked by Aug. 27\, 2025) to:\nWilliam Weaver\nWA Department of Ecology\nPO Box 47696\nOlympia\, WA 98504-7696 \nBy speaking up\, you can help make sure this permit truly protects Puget Sound and the ecosystem it supports. If you have any questions\, please contact us.
URL:https://www.healthybay.org/event/psngp-comment/
CATEGORIES:Environmental Policy
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